Thomas evans



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. T. EVANS.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

No. 326,962. Patented Sept. 29, 1885.

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(No Model.) SheetsSheet 2.

T. EVANS.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING' APPARATUS. W 325,962. Patented Sept. 29, 1885.

' in the event of its being at rest.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS EVANS, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

.JEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,962 dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed January 22, 18 5.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Evans, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Extinguishing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fire-extinguishing apparatus to be used in conjunction with a steam-pump in breweries or other buildings, and especially when such pump is used for supplying water to a tank or for other general purposes, the object being to provide for disestablishing the communication of the pump with the tank or other place and establishing a communication thereof solely with the fire-extinguishing medium from either floor, so that the water issuing from the pump may be utilized entirely for extinguishing purposes, another object being to furnish steam to the pump in the operations above named, and independently of the usual steam-supply power, for the purpose of starting the pump These ob jects I have accomplished by the novel means hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of my apparatus, showing its connection with a pump. Fig. 2 is an end View of the pump. Fig. 3 is a side View of another portion of my apparatus, showing its connection with a tank. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of parts.

Similar letters indicate similar parts.

lhe letter A designates the pump, which may be of any usual or suitable construction, and to the delivery-port A of which is connected one of two pipes, B B, communicating with each other, and both serving under normal condition to convey water to a tank or to any other desired place in a building, Fig. 3 showing the arrangement of the pipe B in relation to a tank, 0, located in the upper part of the building. To said delivery-port of the pump is also connected a hose-coupling, D, which is provided with a valve, D, while to the pipe B, which, for convenience, I shall denominatethe main pipe,in distinction from the other or supplemental pipe, B, are connected a series of hose-couplings, F, each of which is provided with a valve, F, the couplings last named being located on the differ- (No model.)

entfloors of the building, and varying with the number of the floors.

In the main pipe B is avalve, G, and in the supplemental pipe B two valves, G G one, G,of which is a three-way valve, as shown on Fig. 4, and from which extends a branch, B to the ascending portion of the main pipe B, this branch, as well. as the main pipe, being provided with a check-valve, B, opening in a direction away from the pump.

Adjacent to the ascending portion of the main pipeB is aspindle, H, which has its bearings in brackets-I, attached to the main pipe, and is provided on each of the floors with a handle, H, for turning it, this spindle, like the pipe, extending tothe top of the building.

The lower end of the spindle His geared with a lever, J, by means of bevel-pinions J, and to said lever is connected by means of a rod, K, asecond lever, L, which is mounted 011 the stem of the three-way valve Gin the supplemental pipe B, so that this valve may be set by means of the spindle.

To an intermediate portion of the spindle H is connected a valve, N, to be set by its means, this valve being concomitant to a steampipe, 0, which is auxiliary to another or main steam-pipe, 0, whereby steam is supplied to the pump under normal conditions, said connect-ions of the spindle with the valve being effected by means of levers N N and a link, N, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

In applying my apparatus to use for other than fire-extinguishing purposes, the valves G'G, either or both, of the water-pipes are opened, the Valves D F of the various hosecouplings are closed, and the spindle H is turned to set the valve-lever Lto the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby bringing the threeway valve G to the position shown in Fig. 4. The water from the pump is now permitted to flow freely into and through pipes B B, or either of such pipes, as the case may be, and consequently the water may be conveyed .to any desired place for general use. When, on the other hand, the apparatus is to be used for extinguishing a fire on either floor of the building, the spindle H is turned to reverse the position of the three-way valve G, whereby the communication of the supplemental pipe B with the main pipe B and thence with the pump is shut ofi, and the branch B is brought into communication with the main pipe, causing water to flow in the main pipe, both directly and through said branch, or, in case the valve G should be closed, through the branch alone. The valve F of the hose coupling n the proper floor is now opened, when the entire supply'of water may be drawn off from the main pipe and thrown on the fire through a hose properly attached to the coupling. as indicated in the drawings, the hosecoupling D of the pump being likewise used for putting out a fire originating on the floor where the pump is located. When the spindle H is turned to shut off the supplemental pipe B, by means of the three-way valve G, the valve N of the auxiliary steamrpipe O. is opened and steam is admitted to the pump through said pipe independently of the main steam-pipe 0, so that theoperat-ion of the pump is insured.

To the upper portion of the main pipe B is connecteda pipe, Q. (see Fig. 3,) which has anioutlet into the tank .0, and is also provided with a branch, Q, for conveying water to another place, this pipe Q being further provided with a valve, Q which is connected to the spindle H, to be closed by its means when the fire-extinguishing device are in use.

For the purpose of showing the position of the spindle H, it may be provided with an indicator, S, (see Figs. 3 and 6,) on either or all the floors of the building.

What I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fireextinguishing apparatus for buildings, the .cornbinati'on,"' with a steampump, of the main water-pipe B,having ase'ries of hose-couplings, F, provided with valves F, the supplemental water-pipe B, having the three-wayvvalve G, the branch B extending from the three-way valve to the main waterpipe, and a revolving vertically operating spindle, H, provided with the bevel-pinion'J, substantially such as herein described, for adjusting said three-way valve from either floor of the building.

2. In a fire'-extinguishing apparatus for buildings, the combination, with a steampump, of the auxiliary steam-pipe Q, having thevalve N, the main water-pipe B, having a series of hose-couplings, F, provided with valves F, the supplemental waterpipe B, having the threeway valve G,the branch B extending from the three-way valve to the main water-pipe, and a revolving verticallyoperating spindle, H, provided with the bevelpinion'J, substantially such as herein described, for adjusting both said three-way valve and the valveof the auxiliary steampipe from either floor of the building.

3. In a fire-extinguishing apparatus for buildings, the combination, with a steampump, of the main waterpipe B, having a series of hose-couplings, F, provided with valves F, and having the valve G, the supplemental water-pipe B, having the valve G and the three-way valve G, and a revolving verticullyoperating spindle, H, provided with the bevel-pinion J, substantially such as herein described, for adjusting said three-way valve from either floor of the building.

4. In a fireextinguishing apparatus for buildings, the combination, with a steampump, of the main water-pipe B, having a series of hose-couplings, F, the supplemental water-pipe B,having the three-way valve G,

the levers J L,one mounted on the stem of the three-way valve, the connecting-rod K, and the spindle H.geared with the lever J, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a fire-extinguishing apparatus for buildings, the combination, with a steampump, of the auxiliary steam-pipe 0, having the valve N, the main water-pipe having a series of hose-couplings, F, the supplemental water-pipe B, having thethree-way valve G, the levers J L,one mounted on thestem of the three-way valve, the connecting-rodK, and' THOMAS EVANS.

Witnesses:

LoUIs MALTHANER, J os. STRAOKE, Jr. 

